1335.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



395 



From the last London edition of the "Complete Grazier." 

 ON THE BREEDING, REARING, AND FATTEN- 

 ING OF SHEEP. 



[Continued from p. 355 Vol. III.] 

 On folding sheep. 



With regard lo the practice of folding sheep, 

 there is much difference of opinion. The late em- 

 inent Mr. Bakewell was decidedly averse to the 

 practice of folding, considering the advantages 

 supposed to be derived from it as visionary; as, in 

 fact, robbing a larger portion of a farm in order 

 to enrich a small part. He was of opinion that 

 the keeping of large flocks together, even of any 

 number exceeding a hundred, is a barbarous prac- 

 tice, as the strongest will always consume the 

 best food, which ought to be appropriated to those 

 which are less hardy; and observed, "that if fold- 

 ing be necessary on farms that have no commons 

 appendant to them, why should there not be dif- 

 ferent small folds, on different parts of the farm, 

 for animals of various ages, kinds, and strength, 

 and thereby save the trouble of driving them from 

 one part of a farm to another? For, is it not pre- 

 ferable, after the animal has filled its belly, that it 

 should he down to sleep (and let it not be forgot- 

 ten, that repose contributes materially to promote 

 fattening) than travel, in order to create an appe- 

 tite?" From extensive and accurate observations, 

 in various parts of this island, Mr. Bakewell be- 

 came confirmed in his opinion of the inefricney of 

 folding, and his example has been followed by 

 many of our most enlightened agriculturists, who 

 have relinquished the practice; for, however ben- 

 eficial it may be to the folded land, it has been found 

 prejudicial to the sheep, unless when it has been 

 resorted to for the purposes of shelter. Not only, 

 indeed, are those lands, which are in any degree 

 moist, liable to be poached by the treading of the 

 animals, but also these are injured by the wet, and 

 by being driven to and from the fold, are liable to 

 be excessively fatigued; so that the stronger sheep 

 only can feed without receiving much detriment. 

 .Besides, young lambs are often seriously injured; 

 the ewes are liable to be hurried and heated; and 

 the weaker animals are thus prevented from feed- 

 ing at pleasure. There are, however, many light ; 

 soils which cannot be tilled to advantage without 

 the assistance of the fold, and on these the custom j 

 is necessarily continued: but it is only properly ap- 

 plicable to fold flocks and store sheep; for the pur- i 

 poses of folding and fattening are wholly distinct, | 

 as are the breeds most appropriate to each. The 

 fold requires a hardy, active animal that can bear 

 fatigue; but that which will stand still and eat. is 

 best adapted for the grazier. 



On breeding farms, sheep of different ages are 

 generally kept asunder, unless when the number 

 is so small that they are under the care of only one 

 shepherd; but the idea above suggested, by Bake- 

 well, of keeping all sheep in small flocks, is very 

 important, and it merits attentive consideration. 

 There are, however, numberless down-farms where 

 the fold is so much an object that without it they 

 could not be cultivated, and on these straggling 

 folds the practice would evidently be expensive as 

 well as injurious. On such land, many farmers 

 give a very slight dressing, one night in a place, 

 and the fold three square yards per sheep; where- 

 as they ought to be folded two nights in the same 

 spot, and one, or at most two. square yards allotted 



to each animal; for if arable, the ground should be 

 perfectly black, and if grass, well covered with 

 dung. The common calculation is, that 3000 

 sheep are sufficient to fold an acre in one night; 

 but it is evident, that the quantity of manure must 

 depend upon that of the food consumed; and its 

 value will be in proportion to the fattening quality of 

 the provender: thus, the dung of sheep fed on oil- 

 cake is of a much more fertilizing nature than that 

 produced by turnips; but the latter afford the largest 

 amount. The kind of sheep must also influence 

 the number to be folded; the larger and coarser- 

 feeding breeds requiring more space and yielding 

 more manure than the small heath species. On 

 the South Downs the calculation is 500 to 28 

 square perch. 



On land that is too wet to carry sheep upon the 

 (allows, till the advantage of the moveable fold in 

 collecting the dung, together with greater advan- 

 tage to the flock, may be secured by having a 

 standing fold on a dry spot in the most convenient 

 part of the farm; or, where the flock is small, or 

 that it is considered material to afford superior 

 shelter, a part of the farm-yard may be fenced in, 

 and provided with sheds open towards the sun, 

 and having pens for receiving the flocks according- 

 ly as they are separated, so that the sheep may 

 be let out to exercise themselves on the land for a 

 few hours in the middle of the day, unless the 

 weather be extremely unfavorable. In this system 

 of coding, the floors of the various sheds ought to 

 he well beaten in, and laid on a slight declivity, for 

 the discharge of the urine, which, as well as the 

 dung, .should be, frequently removed; for cleanli- 

 ness is essential to the thrivirigof these animals. 

 The practice here stated, will, indeed, render an 

 abundant supply of litter necessary, and whether 

 the additional expense thus incurred is compensa- 

 ted by the supply of manure thereby obtained, is 

 worthy of consideration. It appears, from an ex- 

 periment on record, that 134 sheep, and 30 lambs 

 were penned for six weeks, in a standing fold, and 

 littered with one load of straw, per week, which 

 produced twenty-eight large loads of dung. They 

 were fed morning and evening in the fold with 

 drawn turnips, and. during that time, consumed 

 two acres o! those roots, thus: — 



Valuing dung at 7s. 6d. per load, £ 10 10 

 straw ttt 20s. per load, 6 



There will remain 4 10 



or, per acre for turnips, 



£250 



There can be no doubt that all animals soiled in 

 yards or stables will produce more manure, in the 

 proportion of the litter, than those which are fed 

 in open fields: and it is also more than probable 

 that a fermented compost, so made, will prove 

 more effectual, when regularly spread over the 

 land in due season, titan (111112 promiscuously drop- 

 ped at various periods. These observations more 

 especially apply to heavy cattle; which, besides be- 

 ing apt to poach the land, do not distribute their 

 dung so equally as sheep. Bat, independently 

 of the fact, that the treading of sheep is beneficial 

 to light soils, there are the important considerations 

 of convenience, expense, and comparative profit. 

 Willi regard to the first, it is not always conve- 

 nient to spare men and teams for turning, carry- 



